The Reinhardt pipes heat shields on my Deluxe are developing a slight discoloration. I noticed this a year(+) ago, rubbed them back to shiny, now I'm seeing that same gold-bluish sheen again. Those pipes have been on the bike since 2008. Maybe the chrome is just getting old? FWIW, I don't think the bike runs any hotter now than it did in 2007; probably a degree or two cooler if the XIEDs really work.

 

It's hard to say what the factor is. The color changes that you mention are generally associated with heat as most of us know...including yourself it sounds like. That said; would it not be a good idea to verify if your bike is in fact not running too hot? I would look into that given the very specific nature of the coloration or "aging" as you called it.

Then I have to wonder about the differences in chrome from one maker to another. I know there are a lot of folks out there who swear that many aftermarket providers produce products that are superior to stock Harley parts. However, I've learned that in terms of longevity Harley parts tend to hold up quite well when compared to their aftermarket counter parts. I am thinking specifically about my stock exhaust from my 2008 Crossbones. I ran that stock exhaust for about 45K miles from 2008-2011 and when I took it off the bike it looked almost as good as the day I got it from the showroom. After a while of storing it in the attic it ended up out in the yard under some trees for about a year. Then I moved it behind my shed at it lay there propped up with the muffler tips sticking directly in the dirt. Well believe it or not; when I finally ditched most of the exhaust two months ago keeping only the head pipe, the chrome on the mufflers and the heat shields was perfectly intact. Sure there was a scratch here in there but given how careless I was with the parts that was to be expected. But NO RUST on the chrome. There was some rust on the more raw parts such as inside the inlets of the baffles and some of the clamps and bolts were pretty well rusted but again, the shiny bits were SOLID!

In comparison, I recently removed my Supertrapp 2:1 pipes that sell for $1100 (I only paid a fraction of that on eBay for a nearly new set) and after only about two years and less than 20K miles the chrome on these pipes looked like $h!t...! Rust EVERY and strange corrosion everywhere!!!! BUT...not yellowish blueing like you describe which again, would lead me more to reconsider the whole heat thing...

Anyway...good luck with sorting it all out.

 

That's heat. One of the benefits of chrome is that it self-oxidizes with a clear oxidation. If left to sit, it won't deteriorate. Heat messes it all up.

The coating is only a few microns thick (0.05um-0.5um) so it is easy to damage it with rock chips and road debris. This is when it will rust since you've now exposed the metals below the protective chrome coating.

 

The discoloring effects of heat are cumulative with time. No matter what you do, if you ride your bike the pipes will discolor. Some take longer than others, but it's inevitable.

I say "embrace the blue" and wear it as a badge of honor. It means you actually RIDE your bike.

 

^^^^^Could not have said it better^^^^^^